Dishing It Out Archive

In a newsy month, Dan Chapman has been named wine director at Arterra Restaurant in Del Mar. He fills a position vacated by Matthew Andrews, who has accepted a job with Young’s Market as, what else, a wine rep. Chapman attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa where he earned a certificate in food and wine dynamics. He most recently worked as the manager and wine buyer at the Wine Lover in Hillcrest.

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Gary Parker, chair and CEO of The WineSellar Group, has named Dan Palmer as manager of The WineSellar. “Dan’s extensive knowledge of tasting and importing wines from Italy, France and other parts of the globe will assist us in bolstering our selection of imported wines,” says Parker.

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Nine-Ten Restaurant in La Jolla has named Jayson Knack as sommelier, service and wine director. Knack earned his sommelier certification from the Master Court of Sommeliers in 1997. He is a 10-year veteran of the food and beverage industry. Prior to joining Nine-Ten, Knack served as director of restaurants for Hyatt Hotels Corp. and before that he was g.m. of the three-star rated Lapis Restaurant in San Francisco.

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A newcomer to the area, opening in late September, is Panera Bread. This new bakery/café in Escondido will be located at 1286 Auto Park Way in the Target Center. Panera Bread bakes more than 20 varieties of fresh breads daily and serves sandwiches, salads and soups in bread bowls. Panera Bread differentiates itself from others in the quick-casual market by offering niceties like real china and cozy conversation areas. Paul Saber, a San Diego County franchisee, says plans are in the works for at least 15 bakery/cafes here and 60 more across California within five years.

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To showcase San Diego’s abundance of fresh local product and the exceptional way it has become appreciated and prepared, a group of San Diego chefs will gather Oct. 12 to Celebrate the Craft. This first-time festival will feature representatives from across California’s culinary spectrum gathering to demonstrate, discuss, showcase and taste some of the best premium food products available anywhere in the world.

The event will feature cooking demonstrations and tastings and will culminate with a dinner prepared by participating chefs. It is designed to delight and excite those who appreciate natural ingredients prepared with care. Guests will amble by a series of stations hosted by area growers, vintners and suppliers to sample products and meet the producers. A bluegrass band will provide live entertainment as diners take in the beautiful panoramic views from the lawn at The Lodge at Torrey Pines where the event will take place.

Participating chefs include the host, Jeff Jackson, of A. R. Valentien; Trey Foshee, George’s at the Cove; Amiko Gubbins, Parallel 33; Carl Schroeder, Arterra; Michael Stebner and Jack Fisher, Nine-Ten; Jeffrey Strauss, Pamplemousse Grille and A.J. Voytko, Chive. Cost is $50 per person with a portion of the proceeds donated to A Local Organic Farmland Trust, which secures local organic farmland in order to preserve and protect local organic food suppliers. For tickets, call (858) 777-6723 or click on www.celebratethecraft.com.

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A local salsa company is starting to make waves on the local food scene. Salsa Bravo, owned by Armando Romero, took first place at the annual South Bay Chili and Salsa Cook Off. Romero started the business in 2001 when he decided to bottle his mother Alice’s much-sought salsa recipe. The award-winning condiment is available at Ibis Food Mart in Mission Hills and Starshine Market in Clairemont.

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How often do you thumb through Gourmet Magazine or Bon Appetit and see a dish that looks so good you’d love to try it, but you worry that you don’t have the skills or ingredients to quite pull it off? Well, El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn has a new customized “Cuisine by Request” program just for that situation. Guests can send requests 72 hours in advance to Executive Chef Tom Dowling by either fax or e-mail. A return reservation confirmation and pricing (based on ingredients and labor) will be returned within 48 hours. Fax the chef at (858) 675-8443 or e-mail him at tdowling@jcresorts.com.

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Chef Celebration 2003 gets under way this month at participating restaurants around the county. This annual event is organized and put on by local chefs who host fabulous dinners and raise money for a Chefs Celebration Fund, which gives young up-and-coming culinary professionals the opportunity to further their careers by attending a professional cooking academy such as the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. For a list of participating chefs, dinner dates and menus, log on to www.chefcelebration.com.

Terryl Gavre believes the world would be a better place if everyone worked once as a foodserver. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown, and can be reached at (619) 233-4060, Ext. 316, or food@san.rr.com.